


(wheeze) demons and ghosts, oh my!

by eab5c5



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Demons, Fire, Ghosts, M/M, Supernatural Elements, buzzfeed unsolved au, chenle is a demon and also donghyuck's best friend, the lightest of light angst, yes SM is buzzfeed in this lmfao
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-19
Updated: 2020-12-19
Packaged: 2021-03-10 18:41:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,318
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28171845
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eab5c5/pseuds/eab5c5
Summary: Chenle never planned on telling Donghyuck his best friend was a demon.Now the cat's out the bag. (The demon's out of the handbasket?)
Relationships: Lee Donghyuck | Haechan/Zhong Chen Le
Comments: 4
Kudos: 60





	(wheeze) demons and ghosts, oh my!

**Author's Note:**

> no the smith house is not real i made it up (the lighthouse isn't real i made that up too), and i'm very sorry i wrote like half of this on my phone to meet a deadline so it's probably shit bUT i love my boys and wanted to get this out there so like ?? hope u enjoy

"If there are any ghosts in here, fling my partner across the room."

"Fuck off, dude," Donghyuck shoves him in the shoulder and Chenle grins. The house remains silent and nothing happens. "Well, the living room is a bust, but it's not listed as one of the haunted areas anyways."

Chenle hums, "Okay then. Where to next?"

Donghyuck smiles at him, and it's nervous, like it always is on these trips, but also hopeful. He's so full of hope and good intent, and Chenle thinks back now that he really should have been paying more attention to his uneasiness at the presence inside the house, and not how Donghyuck's smile made him feel all warm and gooey inside. 

"We're heading to the basement."

  
  


+++

  
  


Chenle joins SM Entertainment on a whim. Like any wandering demon he was bored, and hoped to find something interesting among the human employees. He was not disappointed.

Just two months after he started working for the company he began to hear whispers about a new show. A few episodes had already been filmed, but apparently one of the co-hosts didn’t feel like sticking with the project. It was about to be swept under the rug until Chenle caught scent of that delicious innocence, wonder and fear. 

A believer.

When he asked Donghyuck if he could be his new co-host, the man who believed in ghosts immediately said yes, and the demon smiled. 

  
  


+++

  
  


Two years later and Chenle realizes he’s in too deep.

“The Smith House. What do you know about it?”

“Huh?” Chenle mumbles around his cookie, and a few stray crumbs fly across the table. Two years now he’s been Donghyuck’s co-host for SM’s Occult Chasers, and in those two years their relationship has developed from polite strangers to full-blown human best friendship. Chenle’s never had a best friend in his life. Demons don’t do friendship, at least not with other demons, and especially not with any other creatures.

There’s just something about Donghyuck. Sweet, feisty, _human_ Donghyuck, that makes Chenle's demonic nature falter.

Across from him Donghyuck rolls his eyes at Chenle’s messy eating and slaps a file folder down. It’s opened to a newspaper clipping and some photos of a burnt out suburban house. The headline of the paper reads, ‘Family home burns, cause unknown.’

“The Smith House,” Donghyuck says again, and Chenle swallows his bite of cookie. “Rumored to be haunted after a fire took place in 1949 and killed two people.”

“You know I don’t pay attention to supernatural stuff.”

“I know you think ghosts aren’t real-”

“Because they aren’t.” Chenle smiles as Donghyuck scowls at him. Denying the existence of anything supernatural had started out as a way to fuck with Donghyuck, so pure in his belief of ghosts and demons even without much solid proof. Now it’s a habit. Besides, he can’t go blowing his cover if he starts talking about all the things people have gotten wrong about the supernatural. That’d be like pointing a neon sign at himself that said ‘DEMON!’ in bright red letters.

“But this place is the real deal. I can feel it.”

“Oh, you can feel it?”

“Yes! There’s definitely something here. A ghost or a demon, whatever. I think we should make this our finale for the season.”

Chenle frowns then, pulling the file closer to him and starting to flip through the documents.

“You think it’s season finale material?” Their finale last season had almost ended in tragedy when the abandoned hotel they were exploring caved in on the west side. It wasn’t a ghost or anything supernatural, but still. Chenle doesn’t want to go to another dilapidated location where Donghyuck might be in actual danger. He's done a pretty good job of warding off any ghosts or lower-level entities if he does say so himself, but natural accidents are pretty much unavoidable. 

“Oh, yeah. There are so many documented sightings and strange phenomena. Plus, a grizzly backstory. You always like those, don’t you?”

Chenle looks up to see Donghyuck grinning at him, and his unease dispels as quickly as it came. 

He smiles back and nods, “Yeah. You’re right. Bring on the _totally **not** haunted _ house.” He takes a big bite out of his cookie and more crumbs go flying across the table and over the folder.

“Ew, dude, not on my notes!”

  
  


+++

  
  


The Smith House looks like every other house on the block as they stand in front of it. Chenle would have walked right by if he hadn’t immediately sensed the supernatural aura surrounding it. That, and Donghyuck had loudly pointed out that this was the place.

“We’ve got permission from the company that owns the house to use it for the next 48 hours. Today we’ll scope out the location, and tomorrow we’ll bring the crew and all our gear for the actual filming.”

“Sounds good to me,” Chenle says distractedly, looking at all the windows in the front of the house. In the bottom right corner something disappears from behind the curtain. Normally he isn’t worried by ghosts. They’re nothing he can’t handle, and most of them only have the power to do basic actions like short out lights and barely move objects. This house shouldn’t be any different, but something about it is making him feel uneasy. 

“Chenle!” Coming out of his daze Chenle sees Donghyuck standing on the front porch with the door open. “Are you alright? I called your name like five times.” Chenle shakes his head before pasting on his most reassuring smile.

“Yeah, sorry. Just got lost in thought for a second.”

He takes the steps up the porch and follows Donghyuck into the house, shivering as he passes through the doorway. There's definitely something here, but as he feels around the house it seems small. Nothing he should really be worrying about. Why does he still feel nervous then? 

Trailing behind Donghyuck through all the rooms on the first floor, and the basement, nothing happens. It's when they head back up into the kitchen that he finally senses a change. 

"Hyuck, where did you say the original fire started?"

"In the kitchen."

"Right…" Chenle looks around. There's something in the room with them. He can see it in the corner of his eye, but it keeps disappearing at the edges of his vision. 

"Why?"

"No reason."

To his left Donghyuck grins, "Are you scared or something? Finally believe in ghosts?"

"No." Chenle automatically replies, still only paying half attention as the ghost finally fades into view directly in front of him across the island. 

"Are you worried because you were antagonizing the ghost before?"

"No, Donghyuck, just-" 

The ghost starts opening its mouth slowly, and a sound like rushing air comes out of it. There's a thrumming, trembling shift in the foundation of the house, and Chenle is hit with a sudden build-up of power as the ghost raises its arms. 

"Maybe we should leave," Chenle says, reaching out for Donghyuck's sleeve. When he doesn't move Chenle looks over to find Donghyuck staring open-mouthed at the sheets of paper on the table, each one being lifted and blown off by an invisible win. "Come on." He tugs on his sleeve again, hard enough to pull Donghyuck out of his stupor.

In his peripheral vision he can see the ghost's expression twist into horrible anger, and then the oven door behind it bursts open. Inside of it the metal is hot, molten orange and Chenle has no time to think as fire leaps out of it, filling up the kitchen and heading straight towards them. 

"Donghyuck!"

  
  


+++

  
  


Chenle doesn’t think twice when it comes to protecting Donghyuck. He's had a few close calls before, on other trips, where he'd almost given himself away. But there had never been a spirit as powerful as this before. There’s no hesitation about hiding himself or what Donghyuck might think now, because he needs to keep him _safe_ . 

In a split second his wings unfold to hold back the flames. The force of the spirit’s energy flings him forward and he almost crashes into Donghyuck, stopping in time to turn and wrap his arms around him and keep him from being burned. Donghyuck is trembling in his embrace and Chenle hopes it’s not because of him, never him, he would never hurt Donghyuck.

“Chenle, I- You-”

There’s no time for explanations. 

Chenle pulls back, wincing as the flames burn hotter against his back, and his wings move instinctively to try and push them away. He focuses entirely on Donghyuck, cradling his head in his hands and forcing him to look only at Chenle’s face, and not the ghost wreaking havoc behind him. 

“Donghyuck, I need you to listen to me, okay?” Donghyuck nods. “I know you’re scared, and I know it’s hard to understand right now.” As he speaks Chenle can feel his horns coming through his glamour. He’s sure his eyes are glowing, and he sees the claws extending from his fingers, feels his fangs against his lips. “I promise, everything will be alright, but I need you to close your eyes. Can you do that for me?”

Chenle never prays. After all, he’s a demon. Demons are about as far away from Heaven as you can get. But in that moment he prays that Donghyuck will listen to him.

Donghyuck closes his eyes. 

"Thank you," Chenle sighs, and his voice is starting to distort. It sounds deeper, raspier and echo-y. "Don't open your eyes, okay? No matter what." He presses his lips to Donghyuck's forehead before letting him go. 

Then he turns to face the spirit, still holding the flames back with his wings, but now he has the freedom to stop it. Dark smoke rises off his skin, hissing as he appears to melt away, shedding his human appearance for his true form. The ghost lashes out again, directly at him this time, clearly angered by his true form. 

Chenle isn't sure why the spirit is so powerful, enough to even make him pause in his true demonic form, but he can't focus on that. His priorities are _Save Donghyuck_ and _Get Out of the House_. 

He roars, loud and guttural, sending a wave of dark energy at the spirit. It screams, writhing in its own flames as he bombards it with his own power. Eventually the spirit starts to fade, power waning, but not before one last attack. It screeches, sending a wave of fire that forces Chenle back, and if _he_ stumbles, then Donghyuck- 

Chenle pulls his glamour on the fastest he's ever done before, twisting to grab Donghyuck as he's about to go flying, hearing the spirit scream even louder behind him as it uses the last of its power to shove them out of the house.

The last thing Chenle hears before they hit the pavement is the sound of the door slamming shut. 

  
  


+++

  
  


When he wakes up it's to hear Donghyuck yelling somewhere above him.

“Get out of my friend, demon!”

There's a searing pain across his chest and he hisses, hearing Donghyuck yelp as he rolls over and stands up. He looks down to see a line of holes in his t-shirt, the skin underneath red and bubbling. When he looks up again Donghyuck is standing a few feet away, aiming the water gun full of holy water at him.

“What the hell, dude?”

"What the hell to you! Give me my friend back!”

Chenle’s heart drops to his stomach. When Donghyuck had closed his eyes before he’d thought...well, he actually wasn’t thinking about much more than getting rid of the fire-starting spirit in that house, but when Donghyuck did as he said he’d thought _maybe_ he had accepted him.

“I am your friend!” he yells, anger flashing through him, because seriously? Donghyuck believes in demons, but he can’t believe there are good demons out there?

At least his yelling gets Donghyuck to waver for a second. The human squints at him, still holding the water gun in a defensive position.

“Prove it.” he says.

“How, I-” Chenle deflates, trying to wrack his brain for something, anything to explain to Donghyuck that he’s not an imposter. His brain is still scrambled from protecting both of them from the spirit, and he centers his focus on Donghyuck for a moment just to make sure he’s okay. A few burns and scratches, but otherwise fine, except for the fear. The _fear_ . He’s scared of Chenle and, oh, that’s a notion that might break him. Demons don’t do best friendship. Chenle doesn’t do best friendship. With Donghyuck it’s always been beyond platonic love, since the first time Chenle realized the human was more than just a fun source of entertainment to him. 

Chenle swallows, flexing his fingers at his sides.

“Do you remember a month after we started working together, when we were at the lighthouse?”

Donghyuck watches him carefully and nods, “Yeah.”

“Season one, episode two. There was this old shack near the lighthouse. You said it was rumored to be haunted, and I joked about the ghosts being raccoons or something. Anyways, not the point. The point is,” Chenle brings his hands up, as if they’ll help him explain the point he’s trying to make. He flinches when Donghyuck raises the water gun higher. “Do you remember when we took turns staying in the shack by ourselves? Five minutes each, you went first. Then it was my turn, and you freaked out after like two minutes when you heard me talking out loud. We didn’t even know each other that well then, but you ripped open the door to make sure I wasn’t about to be eaten by a ghost - which, by the way, is impossible - and you stood in the doorway, and when I turned around you asked-”

“Why are your eyes red?”

Chenle nods, “And I asked if you were seeing things, and I said if my eyes were red it was probably just because of your flashlight.”

"...but it wasn't."

"No, it wasn't." Chenle breathes out. 

Then Donghyuck is yelling again. 

“That doesn’t prove anything though! It just means you’ve been possessing my friend for almost two years now!”

“No! It means that I’m the one you’ve known for those two years. I’m the one who’s been your co-host, the one who goes on trips with you to all these haunted houses and the one who’s been by your side this entire time!" Chenle's angry again, and he doesn't want to be. He doesn't want Donghyuck to find any other reasons to be scared of him. He rubs his hands over his face and tries again. "Listen, I- Okay, when I joined your show at first, yes, it was because I liked messing with you. You believe in _everything_ , even without any definitive proof. I used to think it was funny, and now it's kind of admirable. You grew on me like a, like a leech or something, a really endearing leech. So I stuck around. Two years now, Donghyuck. You've known me for two years, and if you really think I'm evil, or that I'm out to get you, don't you think I would have done it already?"

That gets Donghyuck to falter. He lowers the water gun a little and frowns.

"Maybe you're in it for the long con?"

"Demons don't wait for that sort of thing. I can tell you that. It's me, Donghyuck. I'll swear to God if I have to."

"You can do that?"

Chenle rolls his eyes, "That's all you got from that? Not my heartfelt confession?"

"Well-!" Donghyuck sputters and waves his arm around, but he finally seems to not want to spray him with any more holy water. He shuffles closer to Chenle, who raises his hands in a sign of surrender. "Still, even if," His voice shakes a bit. "Even if you are the one that's been here, aren't you possessing someone? That's not, like-"

"Actually, this is my own body. Or, well, sorta."

"Sorta?"

"It's more of a second skin. We call it a glamour, a way to hide our true form. I just prefer to look the same every time. Other demons can make themselves look like different people or animals." 

"Huh...so you're really, Chenle?"

He nods. 

After another second or two Donghyuck drops the water gun and leaps forward to wrap his arms around him, hugging him as tight as possible. 

"Oh, thank God." 

Chenle wraps his arms around him as well, holding onto Donghyuck just as tight. What a sight they must make, embracing on the sidewalk in the middle of the day. Chenle wonders if all the yelling drew the attention of the neighbors, but he can't worry about it as he buries his face into Donghyuck's shoulder, just breathing him in and knowing he's _safe_ and he's _here_ . 

"I was so scared I lost you to like, ghostly or demonic possession, or something. And I couldn't- I didn't know what to do-"

"I promise it's me. I'm right here."

Donghyuck nods against him and Chenle smiles.

"Good."

"You know, you're taking this whole ghosts and demons thing pretty well. I know you always believed in them, but still, seeing and believing are two different things."

Donghyuck laughs, "Just give me a few hours. I think I'm still in shock right now, but it'll wear off and then I'll be freaking out."

"Mm-hm." Chenle hums, and they stay there like that. He rubs Donghyuck's back, hoping to dispel some of the tension there, because yeah, they could have died back in that house. Well, Donghyuck could have. Chenle would have been fine, mostly. It's a sobering thought, to remember how fragile human beings are. 

"Wait…" Donghyuck pulls back from their hug to look Chenle in the eye. "If you've been a demon this whole time, then you knew ghosts and demons were real!" He steps back from Chenle's arms and points an accusatory finger at him, and Chenle laughs. "You pretended the whole time that they didn't exist! What the fuck, dude!"  Chenle laughs even harder, doubling over as Donghyuck fumes across from him. 

"I know I said I care about you, and I do, but I'm still a demon! I still liked messing with you."

"Ugh, not cool, dude! No, wait, I just realized, what about the house!? There was the fire, and the explosion, oh shit, we're gonna have to pay for all of that!"

"Actually, I think we'll be fine. With the type of spirit it was, all of the damage was meant for us, not the house."

"Oh. Well, that's good."

Chenle grins, giddy with relief and unable to stop himself from feeling  _ happy _ . Happy that they're alright, that Donghyuck seems to be accepting that his best friend's a demon (though he's sure he'll be freaking out again later, and the questions, God, all the questions he's going to want to ask him). 

"I feel like we should go back in just to check, but I really don't want to see that thing? Ghost? A gain."

"It's not there anymore, but we can inspect later if you want. I'm actually kind of hungry right now."

"For what, human souls?"

"What? No!" Chenle laughs and jumps forward to sling an arm around Donghyuck's shoulders. He starts walking them in the direction of downtown, aware that they look worse for wear, but not caring if anyone notices. "I want pancakes."

"Demons can eat pancakes?"

" _Yes_ , Donghyuck. You've literally seen me eat in front of you hundreds of times."

"Hey, this is all new to me! Cut me some slack."

"Yeah, yeah."

"By the way...I have one more question."

"Ask away. What does the great Lee Donghyuck want to know about little ol' demon Chenle."

"...why did you kiss me in the house?"

It's a miracle Chenle doesn't trip and fall flat on his face.


End file.
